EL MONTE - Two of the city's top management employees have followed former city manager Rene Bobadilla to Huntington Park, leaving a gaping hole in El Monte's administration.

In the last two months, Finance Director Julio Morales and Public Works Director James Enriquez have tendered their resignations to join Bobadilla in Huntington Park, a working class community neighboring Bell, Cudahy and Vernon.

This comes as the city struggles with budget challenges and must now find a permanent replacement for Bobadilla, who after two years as city manager, called it quits in September.

"I think the truth of the matter is that they've left this administration and the community in a lurch by them all leaving en masse and it shows a lack of loyalty to the very community that was compensating them very, very well," Councilman Bart Patel said.

"Thanks a lot for throwing us under the bus and down the San Gabriel River," he said of the former employees.

Although the City Council and Bobadilla have not openly discussed what led to the separation, Mayor Andre Quintero and Bobadilla frequently sparred on the dais and some councilmembers showed visible frustration with some administrators.

"I've held the city of El Monte up with respect and I think the community of El Monte knows where I stand and where my commitment and where my efforts were," Bobadilla responded, adding that he and his team accomplished much during his time in El Monte, including finishing a new park, facilitating the relocation of the city's public works yard and turning around its finances.

"I don't want to take anybody's staff. My goal is to surround myself with the best possible team to make the city successful," Bobadilla said.

Morales said he left the city to pursue a new opportunity and to work with a "dynamic city manager," but that he also had a problem with the management tone set by the City Council.

"(Councilmembers) have to understand the tone they set in dealing with (Bobadilla) and the rest of the top management," he said, adding that some members of the council were combative, demoralizing and micromanaged their staff.

"I don't feel that they treated me poorly, until the end," he said.

At one public meeting in which Morales was not present, Councilman Patel accused Morales of violating his contract, which requires administrators to alert the city when they are looking for work.

"It was false, and the statements made were inaccurate, but I do have some concerns as to the current direction of the city and their ability to retain employees," Morales said.

Enriquez also said he felt the City Council was becoming frustrated with staff.

At one public meeting, councilwoman Norma Macias scolded Enriquez and staff for hastily bringing items to the City Council for approval and not giving councilmembers the time to evaluate proposals.

"I certainly have the feeling in the last six months that (councilmembers) weren't necessarily supportive of some of the programs and recommendations we were bringing to the council," said Enriquez, who started his new gig in Huntington Park last week. "I think they were a little frustrated with us because perhaps they weren't seeing things happen as fast as they would like."

Enriquez said it was difficult to get projects completed quickly because the city was severely short-staffed.

Macias said she didn't believe that the City Council was to blame.

"I don't think that's a reflection of the administration or the City Council," she said. "They obviously had a good working relationship with Rene and they wanted to continue that relationship and that's why they've decided to follow him."

While employed by El Monte, Morales and Enriquez each received $135,000 annual salaries in addition to medical benefits, deferred compensation and other benefits.

Morales said the move to Huntington Park was lateral. Although his new salary is $155,000, his contract omits items such as deferred compensation.

With a $142,000 salary and the loss of benefits that were included in his contract with El Monte, Enriquez took about a $5,000 annual pay cut, he said.

Bobadilla received $195,000 a year and now receives $196,392 in Huntington Park.

The three face significant challenges in their new city of nearly 60,000 residents, which is located between the 710 and 110 freeways.

Early in this fiscal year, the city anticipated a $9 million deficit, but ultimately approved a balanced budget with the help of its reserves, Bobadilla said.

El Monte is in the process of finding a replacement for Bobadilla and has entered into a $25,000 contract with Bob Murray & Associates for the city manager search, which should be completed by late February or early March, Keller said.

The public works department is temporarily being headed by Public Works Supervisor Mike Rodriguez. The city also has a contract in place for engineering services, Keller said.

The interim city manager is interviewing candidates for a temporary finance director next week and the City Council will likely vote on the contract at its Dec. 18 meeting, she said. An interim public works director should be appointed later this month, Keller said.